Coaches vs. Cancer Game
Fans attending the Vanderbilt/Duquesne game will be
helping the American Cancer Society. For each ticket
sold, $1 will be donated to cancer research. Pittsburgh
native and breast cancer survivor Edna Campbell will
address the crowd at halftime. Campbell , a member of
the WNBA’s Sacramento Monarchs, made a courageous comeback
in her team’s final game of the season after being placed
on the injured reserve list in March. Duquesne Head
Coach Dan Durkin, who is also a cancer survivor, was
diagnosed with thyroid cancer in October, 2000.

PLAYERS AND NUMBERS TO WATCH
Hillary Hager returns to her home state of Pennsylvania.
Hager was an all-state selection at Franklin High School
in Franklin, Penn. Her father, Bill, is the boy’s basketball
coach at Franklin High School.
Ashley McElhiney set the Vanderbilt school record with
17 assists at Louisville. On Dec. 22, 2002, she set
the VU career assists record against UT-Martinwith a
then career-high 13 assists.. She surpassed Ginger Jared
who totaled 516 (1993-96, 3.9 pga, 132 games)
The Commodores are ending their 5-games in 10-day stretch
(three on the road) against Duquesne. VU played at TCU
on Dec. 29; hosted Charlotte on Dec. 31; played at Louisville
on Jan. 2; and hosted Holy Cross on Jan. 4.
The Commodores open Southeastern Conference play Sunday,
Jan. 12 at Mississippi State.
Louisville was Vanderbilt’s third consecutive Conference
USA opponent. The Commodores lost to TCU; defeated UNC-Charlotte
and fell to Louisville.
VU’s 70-53 loss at TCU was the first loss to an unranked
team since Arkansas defeated VU 67-57 Jan. 31, 2002
in Fayetteville, Ark. It was the fist loss to an unranked
non-conference team since Nov. 19, 2000, when VU fell
at Xavier, 64-60, when Melanie Balcomb was the Muskateer’s
head coach.
The Commodores shot 38.8 percent at TCU which is the
lowest field goal percentage by a Commodore team since
Feb. 27, 2000, when Vanderbilt shot 36.1 percent (22-61)
in a 75-49 loss at Georgia.
Junior forward Jenni Benningfield has led the Commodores
in scoring and rebounding in four games - she totals
four double-double performances.
Senior center Chantelle Anderson has been named as a
nominee for the inagural Creamland Dairies Women’s Collegiate
Basketball Student-Athlete of the year award announced
by the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau. The
award honors college seniors for their athletic and
academic achievements as well as community involvement.
Anderson recorded a season-high 27 points at UT-Martin.